Chapter 122 - Chapter 122: The Black God
We are currently clearing Floor 7 of the dungeon, having recruited a self-proclaimed Apostle of God as a helper.
The massive wall that had been rejecting adventurers on Floor 7 was cleared effortlessly by his divine miracle.
We have invaded the labyrinth of Floor 7.
However, this is a labyrinth no one has ever stepped foot in before, and we have not cleared it by official means.
Is this truly the same place as the labyrinth we reverse-engineered when we were previously flung to the deep layers?
We have not yet found the answer.
If we can visit the Labyrinth Hot Spring where the Princesses and I soaked, we should be able to prove it is the same labyrinth as that time.
For now, our destination after invading the Floor 7 labyrinth is that hot spring.
Since Kaorulko mapped it out during the reverse-engineering, if we reach the hot spring, we can go straight to the floor boss.
Well, the boss here was a Lich, so it might be one shot with Sana-chan's Turn Undead magic...
She is an adventurer who has already defeated a Lich.
Besides, the Greater Demons and Cerberuses we encountered along the way seemed like tougher enemies than the floor boss Lich...
After defeating those tough enemies, we decided to look for a campsite.
It is about time for the sun to set on the surface.
There is no point in forcing it in a place like this.
"Oh! By the way, don't forget to put the monsters in the Item Box."
I had left the monster corpses as they were.
"Darling♡"
Since Iroha wouldn't leave me, I carried her in my arms while walking toward the monster corpses.
Tetsuo came along too, seemingly interested.
"Store."
I put the huge body into the Item Box, but I found something inside the residue.
"Huh?! Is it a drop item?"
Looking at it, it seems to be a sword.
A white blade is visible amidst the monster's bodily fluids and entrails spread on the floor.
"Hehe, this part is very game-like, isn't it?"
Tetsuo looked at the dropped item and let out a bitter smile.
Well, if you think about it seriously, it makes no sense.
I think so too, but since it is like this, there is nothing to be done.
I couldn't pick up what was lying on the ground while carrying Iroha.
I put her down and picked up the sword.
"Oh? It looks like a game item sword."
As Tetsuo said -- it is a longsword with a silver blade, and the guard part features a relief of a woman with wings spread, colored gold.
In this dungeon, flashy fantasy-style items tend to be high-performance, so perhaps this sword also holds considerable power.
"Iroha! Look, it's a drop item."
"Seriously, Darling?"
"Here."
I handed her the sword.
"Wow! Amazing!"
Iroha happily accepted it, swung it vigorously back and forth, and then assumed a stance with the sword.
"The flashier the design in this dungeon, the stronger it is. It looks pretty strong, doesn't it?"
"Yay! I'm going to do it!"
"Is that so? You're going to do it?"
"If you're going to do it, you must do it."
My voice and Tetsuo's voice overlapped.
Since we hadn't returned, the Princesses had come over.
"Darling, what happened?"
"It's a drop item."
"Hm?!"
In contrast to Iroha's joy, the Princess had a gloomy expression.
"What's wrong?"
"We... we lost the drop item..."
"Wouldn't fighting the Cerberus again drop an equivalent item?"
"Ugh... probably..."
Well, she is probably more upset that it was taken first rather than the item itself.
"Ahaha! With this, I can catch up to Cherry Princess in no time!"
"W-well, that's debatable? It might be a bad item..."
"Sakurako-sama, it's not sour grapes..."
Kaorulko couldn't help but retort.
More importantly, regarding the campsite, finding a place to rest in a labyrinth is difficult.
That hot spring seemed like a safe zone, so that would be ideal for a campsite.
There is no point in wishing for things that don't exist.
We will look for a place to stay.
If it comes down to it, we will all huddle together in a corner of the labyrinth to sleep.
"Should I dig a hole with my ability and cut through a bit of the dungeon? If it's just a little, it shouldn't connect to another space, right?"
"That is one option..."
If it is a shallow hole, there is no worry of being attacked from behind.
"If we send out Shazam for sentry duty, he will react immediately."
"That would be appreciated... but relying on Tetsuo and Shazam for everything feels wrong..."
"This is also what the God-sama intended, so there is no need to worry."
"That should be a last resort; let's consider other locations a bit more."
Due to the Princess's opinion, we decided to look for another place.
--That said, we cannot scatter and search separately.
This labyrinth is too dangerous (misuse).
As for me, I am carrying the girls one after another in my arms.
I thought it was just Sana, but Kaorulko asked to be carried too.
In that case, the Princess has to do it as well.
"Oh?"
While carrying the Princess in my arms, Tetsuo reacted to something.
"What's wrong?"
"Shazam seems to have found something."
He also seemed to be using Shazam to scout in all directions.
"Alright, let's go to that place, Princess."
"I understand."
"..."
I was waiting for the Princess to get down from my arms, but she showed no sign of doing so.
"What's wrong?"
"Are we going like this?"
"Of course."
She answered as if it was natural, so I headed toward the place Shazam found while still carrying the Princess.
Since Shazam went ahead, I know there are no enemies on the way.
"By the way -- the Harpies are nowhere to be seen."
"Perhaps they were terrified by such a powerful enemy and ran away."
"Well, that's probably it."
"If we make the smell of food, they will return immediately."
It seems to be as the Princess said.
We proceeded through the dark dungeon and arrived at Shazam's location.
It was a room where part of the passage was sunken, but -- there was no door.
"A room? A trap?"
"According to Shazam, there are no traps."
Arrows and skewers don't work on her, nor do hanging ceilings or pit traps.
"Kaorulko, use magic light."
"Yes."
"It's a waste of magic. My lamp should be enough."
Tetsuo held a lamp with Shazam's tentacles.
All members present here can see even in the dark.
Even with faint light, the overall shape of the room becomes clear.
"What is that? A treasure chest?"
Pointing to the back of the room, Iroha indicated -- indeed, there is a box.
"Could it be a Mimic since it's in a place like this?"
"I agree with Sana's opinion..."
"I suppose so."
Kaorulko seems to share the same opinion.
"Should I throw a stone to break it?"
"Isn't it faster to use Shazam?"
"Wait, Darling. This is a Mimic on this floor. Isn't it a tough enemy?"
"Do you want to add to the level?"
"Yes."
So, I decided to throw a stone to deal damage.
I took out rubble from the Item Box.
"For now, breaking the lid of the box shouldn't kill it."
"Please, Darling."
I took out a camera for filming, swung my arm wide, and lifted my leg high.
"Niwa pitcher, winding up -- first pitch! Thrown!"
The pebble I threw flew straight through the darkness, blowing off the lid of the treasure chest.
Shards scattered all over the room.
"KISHAAAAA!"
From the box without a lid, countless tentacles appeared.
No matter how you look at it, that is not the amount that fits inside a box.
Perhaps the main body is under the box?
"So it was a Mimic -- but this is a type I've never seen before."
"Wouldn't it be better to burn it with Fireball or something?"
"No, I will do it!"
The Princess took a stance with her dazzling silver sword, and a flash of light seemed to dwell on the tip of the blade as if filled with fighting spirit.
With flames of fighting spirit burning in her eyes, she kicked off the ground.
Her figure rushing forward with the force to split the wind and shake the earth was like a comet soaring across a battlefield.
Countless tentacles rushed to devour the light.
The Princess twisted her body in a spinning motion and slashed them away.
Every slash made the air tremble, and the severed tentacles scattered black slime as they danced in the air.
When the Princess's sword cut deeper past the wall of tentacles, the enemy's main body finally revealed itself.
Her sword pierced deeply into the root of the tentacles, which were like a large tree.
"Nyaaaaaa!"
With the Princess's shout, the root of the tentacles was split in two.
The wriggling tentacles immediately lost their momentum and slithered onto the floor.
"Got it!"
After checking the surroundings to ensure no other enemies were present, I stored the camera.
"Are we camping here?"
Sana was looking around the room in circles.
"Well, isn't this just right?"
I stored the monster's body in the Item Box.
A gaping hole remained where the Mimic's main body was.
On the floor where nothing remained, I found something shining.
"A drop item?"
Picking it up -- it was some kind of small bottle.
It looked like a Potion, but the color was quite dark red.
Inside, a viscous liquid swayed.
It was too cloudy to be called crimson, and even with the lamp light shining through, it did not shine.
Rather, one might say it was a color that held darkness.
"Princess, it's a drop item, but a bottle of a color I've never seen."
I handed her the bottle.
"A Potion?"
"For a Potion, the color is..."
Kaorulko peered into the Princess's hand.
"It would be troublesome if we had to try it on a human body to find out what kind of medicine it is..."
There is also the possibility of poison.
"It would be nice if we had the Appraisal ability at a time like this..."
The Appraisal ability that appears in urban legends.
It is as rare as my Item Box.
As of now, no adventurers officially recognized as possessing it exist.
I don't even know if such an ability truly exists.
"Daisuke-san, could another Mimic spawn here?"
Kaorulko was peering into the hole where the Mimic was.
Her concern is well-founded.
"There is certainly a possibility..."
"If you are worried, just have Shazam stand guard. He will tell us immediately if an enemy spawns."
"That would be appreciated."
"Alright! Then, let's camp here!"
It was decided by the Princess's words.
I took out camping supplies like air mats from my Item Box and arranged them.
"An air mat! This is nice."
"You can't sleep without this. Tetsuo, Shazam acts as your bed, right?"
"Ha ha, that's right."
"It's nice that they stand guard even while sleeping."
"Seriously, that's it. If the surroundings are full of enemies, you can't sleep properly."
There seems to be a trick where you sleep inside his hole.
"By the way, they hid in a hole to bypass automatic ticket gates, right? Something like that?"
"If I use my ability, I can hide in places that are normally impossible."
For example, it seems possible to hide by entering gaps that people cannot enter.
I also took out food from the Item Box.
"Oh! Delicious! Braised pork!"
The braised orc meat I made seemed to be well-received by Tetsuo as well.
Iroha was stuffing her mouth with a large amount of rice balls.
Her appetite is unchanged.
"Gya Gya!"
"Oh? Gigi?"
"See?"
As the Princess said, it seems she came following the smell of food.
"Gigi, where is Chichi?"
"Gyi?"
It seems she doesn't know.
Did we get separated?
I am worried, but if the Harpies have their sense of smell, they will reunite eventually.
"Um, Daisuke-san."
While feeding the Harpy, Sana came over.
"What is it? More food?"
"No -- after the meal, I would like some Magic Stones..."
"Don't you have any, Sana?"
"A-ah... Daisuke-san's Magic Stones infused with mana..."
"Mine?"
Is Sana planning to try something?
Could she have thought of a way to extract mana from Magic Stones?
If that is true, it is amazing.
Clearing the dungeon would advance by one stage.
"Y-yes."
"It doesn't have to be after the meal -- here."
I took out a large Magic Stone from the Item Box.
Inside the black stone, a blue light glowed -- proof that mana was infused.
I found out this could be converted into a weapon, so I stocked it for emergencies.
"Thank you."
"Hmph~"
"Princess, stop glaring."
"B-but..."
"Sana, you have something you want to try, don't you?"
"Y-yes -- I don't know if it will work."
I was slightly curious about what she would do -- Sana went to the corner of the room and stood still, perhaps for mental concentration.
"Darling -- what is Sana planning to do?"
Iroha seemed curious too, glancing at Sana.
"I don't know -- but perhaps she is trying to find a way to extract the mana infused in the Magic Stone?"
"Can she do that?!"
"I heard it was common in the other world where Tetsuo was, so there seems to be a method."
"Other world mages used it often. Magic tools also use the mana infused in Magic Stones."
"So, until we find that method, realizing magic tools will be difficult, right?"
"Heh~"
Even after the meal, Sana stood still for about an hour --
"Light, [Light]."
A magical light floated before her.
To my eyes, it looks like normal magic...
Curious, I tried asking Sana.
"Sana... could it be that you used magic with the mana from the Magic Stone?"
"Y-yes. It seems to have worked somehow."
"Eh?! Really!?"
"Yes."
Everyone gathered there.
"Eh?! Seriously, you didn't use your own mana?"
Iroha was staring intently at the magical light, but there was no difference visible.
"Yes."
It's like the outlet power became a battery, but the lighting that turns on is the same.
Something like that.
"H-how did you do it?!"
"...I cannot tell you."
I was surprised by Sana's words.
I thought she was not the type to say such things.
"Sana, Kaorulko told you about the Compressed Light Bullet, didn't she?"
"Of course, I know that..."
It seems she is hesitating.
She seems to have some reason...
"Ah, I get it. Daisuke."
Tetsuo seemed to understand something.
"What is it?"
"Sana-chan used a prayer to the God-sama."
"..."
'Exactly.'
She had been silent, but we braced ourselves at the unexpected voice.
There should only be us on this floor.
No, there is a possibility that adventurers following us have arrived...
"Gyaah! Gyaah!"
Gigi was making a warning sound.
It seems certain that something is there...
"Who is it?!"
The Princess took a stance with her sword, glaring in the direction the voice came from.
A voice was heard -- but it was a voice I had never heard.
No, have I heard it? It sounds like I've heard it somewhere...
What appeared stumbling from the darkness was a Harpy.
"Eh?! Chichi?"
"No, Darling, it's not that, is it?"
As Iroha said, it looked like Chichi, but her legs and wings were dyed black, clearly different in color.
"Could it be that you were the one speaking?!"
'Yes.'
She spread her large wings, and it turned out the black dye only reached the middle of the wings.
"The Harpy is talking!"
Kaorulko also raised a voice of surprise.
"Ah..."
Tetsuo raised his voice, but he seemed to notice something.
'You do not need to be so wary.'
"Whoa!"
As the Harpy flapped its wings, it came to me.
I felt no hostility at all, so while trembling, I hugged it as usual.
I looked at her face.
Her features were indeed exactly like her usual self, but her eyes were different.
They looked like someone else's eyes.
No, are these even eyes?
Those pupils filled with deep darkness showed no fluctuation of emotion, coldly peering into the depths of my heart.
They were neither Harpy eyes nor human eyes.
They held no emotion -- just a gaze that saw through everything, knowing everything, and judging silently.
Being stared at by those eyes, I felt the illusion that my thoughts, memories, and even the weaknesses and fears I had hidden were being exposed.
It was like something not human -- no, it was a Harpy.
An existence that was omniscient like a God, yet somewhat cold and indifferent.
While I was confused, she opened her mouth.
'My name is Izal.'
Izal? -- Isn't that the name of Tetsuo's God?
"Eh?! Are you really a God?!"
'No way, I am a God.'
"Zuko!"
Tetsuo, who had been listening, fell over.
'What is it, my child? Do you have some dissatisfaction?'
"What is this joke?"
'It seems that when descending into this world, one conducts such exchanges.'
"Where did you get that information -- and besides, why a beast as a vessel for descent? Sana-chan is here, isn't she?"
He pointed at Sana.
'That person is still immature.'
"...Ugh..."
Sana made a face as if her weak spot had been hit.
"So, is it a Harpy? Being made a vessel for a God, is she okay? Will she turn into a pillar of salt after the God leaves?"
'No problem.'
"Well, I don't think a God would lie..."
'There is no meaning to tell lies.'
That's right.
"So, to get back to the topic --"
I couldn't help but look at her chest.
Hasn't it gotten a bit bigger?
'Yes.'
"So, the story is that Sana was taught by the God-sama how to extract mana from Magic Stones --"
'Exactly.'
"Are you keeping her quiet to gain believers using that?"
'...'
The God froze.
What is this?
Since the basic brain is a Harpy's, is it experiencing a processing lag?
"God-sama?"
'No -- I did not intend that.'
Was it different?
"If so, why not use it to increase the God's believers?"
'That is -- if one becomes my believer, they can learn the method of using Magic Stones -- is that the condition?'
"That is correct."
'Hmm -- so information that is common sense in one world becomes valuable information here.'
"Probably, many adventurers want to know, so the number of believers will increase."
"Hehehe... you are not bad, you know."
I almost said "To the Magistrate..." but stopped myself.
"Please call me wise."
"Hehehe... I like it."
For now, it seems the conversation with the God went through.
"Kaorulko, as heard -- if you become a believer of Izal, you seem to be able to be taught how to use Magic Stones."
"I will! I will!"
"Is it okay to decide so easily? If you become a believer, black patterns seem to appear on your body?"
I thought she was more of a cautious type...
"There may be various restrictions at first, but if the number of God's believers increases, it will become normal."
"Well. In the other world where I lived, Izal followers were persecuted, but since the opposing God was destroyed, Izal Religion became the default."
"In this world, there are various religions too, so there might be some friction at first."
"But in that previous online video, it seems the number of believers increased suddenly in this world too?"
"Yes, I heard that."
'Because of that, this kind of descent became possible.'
"So, the number of believers increasing the God's power is real?"
"Well, of course."
I tried talking with Kaorulko, but it seems her resolve to become a believer has not changed.
"Is it okay to pray every day?"
'Pray with your heart earnestly?'
"I understand."
Kaorulko bowed her head.
If the fact that Magic Stone mana can be used spreads, the number of Izal believers might increase suddenly.
'Then, farewell.'
The Harpy's body glowed, and like a battery running out, it collapsed onto the floor.
Suddenly, being possessed by a God, what kind of feeling is it?
The color of the body -- the wings and legs being dyed black -- remained as they were.
"Gyi..."
When I petted her, there was a reaction.
It seems she is just exhausted.
I took out a backpack from the Item Box, lined it with a towel, and put her inside.
Will she be safe here?
"R-really, there is a divine being..."
"It is true..."
The Princess and Iroha also had faces as if they couldn't believe it.
Floor 7 of the dungeon has been turbulent from the first day.